Leadership and Business Growth

Effective leadership requires presence.

How to develop more presence you might ask?

Drum roll.

Wait for it.

Are you ready?

Be present.

My leadership message today?

During today’s celebration and throughout the holidays.

Be present with your loved ones.

Put away the phone.

Turn off the TV.

Dig into enriching conversations with your loved ones about the important things in life.

Listen.

Make eye contact.

Be present.

After all, good leadership possesses presence.

Merry Christmas!

Let me explain.

Leadership is a game of attraction, not promotion.

It’s an inside game.

Meaning, you need to do the ongoing internal work to become a better and more enlightened human being.

This is a lifelong pursuit.

Why?

If someone doesn’t want to be you, they will never follow you.

This is at the foundation of long-term leadership.

The lesson today?

The best leadership hack is to build the person you want to follow and then demonstrate that person to the world.

One truth I’ve learned about leadership over the years.

Deep down, we all yearn for a strong leader.

Someone to:

• Guide us
• Mentor us
• Speak vision to us
• Be our cheerleader
• Hold us accountable
• Create a roadmap
• Demonstrate success
• Show us the way

This is a factory installed in all of us humans.

The lesson today?

The first step in leadership is to be a follower.

To find someone to lead who can provide you with the above roadmap and more.

The next step is to then begin to lead ourselves.

Then once we are able to lead ourselves, those called have a duty, obligation, and responsibility to become the leader to others that we all yearn for.

Now go forth and lead; even if it’s just you!

Leadership is Elusive.

It’s a lifelong pursuit.

Just when you think you have it, you realize you don’t.

Just when you think it’s impossible, you realize it’s attainable. 

The truth is this:

Sometimes you are ahead.

Sometimes you’re behind.

The race is long.

However, no matter where you are in the moment on your leadership journey. 

Continuing to acquire leadership skills is a worthwhile pursuit.

At the very least, to be a leader of self which humanity needs right now and always will.

So keep your head up, and keep going.

People are counting on you.

Onward!

In German, the translation of the word “Leadership” has a negative connotation. 

This is different than here in the US where the word is typically looked on fondly.

I learned that last week when I interviewed my friends Dr. Dirk and Dr. Petra Frese on my CEO Show Podcast, who grew up on other sides of the Berlin Wall in West & East Germany in the 1960s.

Why does it have a negative connotation?

A man named Adolf Hitler.

Yes, he was a world-class leader.

It’s strange to hear him described that way, but it’s the truth.

Albeit, he was pure evil which is the 2nd truth. 

As such, he used this powerful tool of “leadership” to negatively influence the hearts & minds of the Germans in the 30’s and 40’s to murder millions of innocent people.

So my leadership lesson today is one of perspective.

Leadership is a tool, like money or energy.

With a positive direction, they can build beautiful things.

With a negative direction, they cause destruction. 

It’s the energy we put behind the tool that gives it meaning.

Today I share with you the reminder that Leadership is a powerful tool of influence.

I teach it because of the power.

However, my intent, like yours, is to use for the good.

Do so accordingly.

Onward.

I’ve found that the best leaders not only build a foundation for themselves and their team. 

But they focus on paying it forward by building something that lasts far past their leadership. 

In other words, strong leadership requires leaving a legacy.

I learned this leadership truth from the great John Maxwell.

This requires casting a vision, creating a foundation that can scale, and then finding a replacement that can continue the journey even better than the founder.

Applying it to an example that just happened within my leadership pursuits. 

After nearly 11 years of operating our Mission Viejo Fit Body location, Tatiana and I did just that by passing the torch to our new owner Melissa. 

For full insight into the leadership lesson, click here.

PS This is true in parenting which is a sizable leadership role.

I’ve found that the best leaders not only build a foundation for themselves and their team. 

But they focus on paying it forward by building something that lasts far past their leadership. 

In other words, strong leadership requires leaving a legacy.

I learned this leadership truth from the great John Maxwell.

This requires casting a vision, creating a foundation that can scale, and then finding a replacement that can continue the journey even better than the founder.

Applying it to an example that just happened within my leadership pursuits. 

After nearly 11 years of operating our Mission Viejo Fit Body location, Tatiana and I did just that by passing the torch to our new owner Melissa. 

For full insight into the leadership lesson, click here.

PS This is true in parenting which is a sizable leadership role. 

Change is the only constant in life.

We know this to be true, but human nature still resists. 

Well, let’s prepare ourselves.

More change is coming. 

The US will elect a new president today.

And it’s no secret to anyone that the last 4 years have been tough in many ways that have affected our ability to support our Franchise Partners, coaches, and brand.

We have seen government overspending in record-breaking proportions (otherwise known as inflation), rising interest rates, global conflict, a lack of homeland security, and the list goes on.

I hope for positive change that will create better tailwinds for us, our country, and humanity.

Ultimately though, that’s not totally up to me.

However, what is up to me is how I respond, not react to whatever the new changes bring.

And this my friend is my message today.

Dont’ resist the change.

Instead, prepare for it, embrace and drive it in whatever way it comes. 

After all, leadership is about directing change so get ready.

Last week for our final Mastermind Retreat of 2024, Barrett asked me to present on the deficiencies in my leadership and the action I take to improve. 

Being I’ve known him for 39 years, he knows all the good, the bad, and the ugly.

As I put together my talk, I was reminded of a dichotomy of leadership.

Leadership requires both confidence and humility.

It requires confidence to charge forward in the face of resistance.

And yes, you will face lots of resistance. 

Why?

Human nature resists change and leadership requires directing change.

There’s conflict in the infrastructure of the role. 

Specific to the dichotomy and the other side of the coin.

Leadership requires humility.

Humility is the quality that shows you that there’s plenty of opportunity to improve.

So one 1 hand.

You must know you are awesome (confidence).

On the other hand.

You must know you are not that awesome yet (humility).

This is a dichotomy of leadership and why it’s so hard, yet valuable.

There is alot to leadership.

However, much of it revolves around 2 basic things.

People and Problems.

If you can solve problems that involve people.

Guess what?

You are a leader.

When you break that down.

The level of complexity of people’s problems you can solve dictates how effective a leader you are.

The more effective leader you are..

The more income, impact, and legacy you will create.

This is the value of leadership.